Both myLesley and VoiceThread will be undergoing maintenance this weekend. Please plan accordingly.
myLesley (Blackboard) will be performing maintenance on Friday, May 18th from 2:00 AM – 5 AM EDT (UTC -4). Downtime is not expected, but performance and system speed may be impacted.
VoiceThread will be unavailable on Saturday, May 19th from 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM EDT (UTC -4) while Amazon Web Services performs system updates.
Here’s the scenario. You created a VoiceThread and embedded it in your myLesley course. In the past, students have been able to click on the Add Comment button and add their VoiceThread comment without ever leaving myLesley. Unfortunately, some of your students are now receiving a message saying that the website doesn’t allow access to the camera/microphone. What happened?
In short, Chrome updated its security restrictions. Chrome has now eliminated microphone and webcam permissions for iFrame embeds (the same type of code used to embed VoiceThread content). The good news is that clicking on Open in a new tab will open the VoiceThread up in a new tab where students can record their audio and video comments.
Please note that students are currently unable to embed content (such as VoiceThreads) in myLesley. This is a known issue with Blackboard. In the meantime, students will need to share a link to their content. Instructions may be found here: Sharing a VoiceThread in Your myLesley Course.
If you have any questions or run in to any issues, please email elis@lesley.edu.
Say goodbye to Flash! VoiceThread has introduced a new HTML5 version, which runs in your browser without having to install and enable Flash. The new HTML5 version looks and feels the same as the Flash-based version, but now offers new features suck as adjustable playback speed, streamlined audio/video recording, and increased security.
You may switch over to the new HTML5 version at any time. To begin, log in to VoiceThread.
Click on your email address on the top right-hand side of the page to open a menu. Select Display Preferences.
In the Player Version section, select HTML5.
Refresh the page. You will now be upgraded to the new HTML5 version of VoiceThread.
Chrome and Firefox are fully supported. Please be sure to use the most up-to-date version of the browser for the best experience.
HTML5 audio and video recording is NOT supported on Safari or Edge browsers at this time. You may use Safari or Edge to view a VoiceThread but you will not be record audio or video until the browsers have been updated to support this feature. Internet Explorer (IE) is not supported.
You may switch over to the new HTML5 version any time between now and December 31, 2017. After that date, VoiceThread will automatically transition everyone to the new HTML5 version.
VoiceThread has announced a new integration with Kaltura Media. You may now pull your Kaltura video content into VoiceThread quickly and easily!
To begin, create a new VoiceThread or edit an existing VoiceThread. See Creating and Editing VoiceThreads for more information.
Click on the “Add Media” button.
This will bring up a menu. Select Media Sources.
This will bring up a list of media sources. Select Kaltura.
All of your Kaltura videos should begin loading on the screen. Select any video to insert it into your VoiceThread.
Once you have imported your video you may begin adding comments. See Commenting on VoiceThreads for more information or watch the tutorial video below:
On January 20, Sadie Anderson from VoiceThread conducted a training webinar for Lesley faculty, focusing on peer review and the advanced commenting features now available in VoiceThread. A recording of the webinar is below.
For more information on VoiceThread’s new commenting tools, see:
Private Commenting
Threaded Commenting
Direct Reply
Comment Moderation
Want to learn more about using VoiceThread in your course? Sign up for one of VoiceThread’s free online workshops or view a recording from a past workshop: https://voicethread.com/workshops